Yucca Schidigera Extract Can Promote Rabbit Fecundity and Ovarian Progesterone Release
Abstract
The aim of the present in vivo
study was to determine the effects of yucca powder extract added to the
rabbit females feed mixtures on kindling and conception rate. Rabbit
does of the experimental groups were fed with the standard diet enriched
with supplement of yucca dry extract at doses of 5 g/100 kg feed (E1
group) or 20 g/100 kg feed (E2 group) for 50 days. In our preliminary in vivo
results we shown, that conception rate was significantly higher in both
experimental E1 and E2 groups (82.4% and 100.0%, respectively) than in
control group (47.1%). The kindling rate was also significantly higher
in the experimental groups (70.6% and 100.0%, respectively) than in the
control group (41.2%). The differences between control and yucca treated
groups in the number of liveborn, stillborn and weaned pups per doe
were not statistically significant. To understand possible endocrine
mechanisms of yucca action on fertility rate, we have examined the
influence of yucca extract additions on the release of steroid hormones
by isolated and cultured rabbit ovarian fragments. Yucca additions
promoted release of progesterone (at dose 1 μg.ml-1, but not at doses 10 and 100 μg.ml-1).
Yucca addition at these doses did not affect testosterone or estradiol
release. Our observations demonstrate the stimulatory effect of yucca
consumption on rabbit fecundity, which can be due to its direct
stimulatory influence on ovarian progesterone, but not testosterone or
estradiol output.
Key words
- Yucca;
- Rabbit;
- Progesterone;
- Testosterone;
- Estradiol;
- Conception rate;
- Kindling rate
